A Real Pain

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A Real Pain

Released Nov 15, 2024

1h 29m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

269 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

500+ Verified Ratings

Mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.

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Critics Consensus

Led by a scene-stealing turn from Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain is a powerfully funny, emotionally resonant dramedy that finds writer-director-star Jesse Eisenberg playing to his strengths on either side of the camera.

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Audience Says

A Real Pain handles weighty themes with restraint and levity in an off-the-cuff naturalistic way poignantly rendered by Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg.

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Stephen Romei

The Australian

[Keiran Culkin] is remarkable from the opening scene to the final moment.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 21, 2025

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Udita Jhunjhunwala

Livemint

Eisenberg tenderly and firmly directs the movie, entering the Holocaust experience through a comic road trip, speaking of modern life and several unmined feelings that continue to haunt third generation Americans.

Jan 28, 2025

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Katherine McLaughlin

Little White Lies

... it is also distinctly a film about the boundaries and limits of love.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 18, 2025

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

These nice boys in their nice movie made me miss Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory, in their talky two-handers.

Mar 4, 2025

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Eisenberg, especially as a screenwriter, shines here. A Real Pain is impressively balanced as it changes tone, style, and necessary reveals effortlessly.

Rated: A-

Feb 26, 2025

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Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

[Eisenberg] keeps crafting deeply felt features that resound with raw emotion, and that leave viewers feeling like they could walk right into them.

Feb 25, 2025

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Ettie

Great concept. Can’t say I ever saw a film about cousins. Would have loved a better ending & there was room to do so. Not sure why the writers decided to end it like that.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/25

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Ruth W

Performances from Eisenberg and Culkin were great. I think the other characters could have been fleshed out more to make the story more multi-dimensional. I also bought the big reveal about Culkin's character in a monologue was a bit abrupt. Obviously Eisenberg made a conscious decision not to have flashbacks in the film, but maybe there could have been a better way to communicate the characters challenges.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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Karen

The movie was very slow and left us all confused

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

Jason B

Outstanding performances make this film worth seeing. Funny and touching, it is a bit of an emotional roller coaster… like real life can be.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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Mike C

Really enjoyed this. Quirky, educational, emotional, well acted. Glad we saw it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/29/25

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Boca Tennis Reviewer

Very, very much a one-note film. If you like Kieren Culkin, you are in for a treat. Otherwise, i would stay home.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/25

Full Review

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Jesse Eisenberg

Director

Kieran Culkin

Benji Kaplan

Jesse Eisenberg

David Kaplan

Jakub Gasowski

Receptionist

Will Sharpe

James

Daniel Oreskes

Mark

A Real Pain: Extended Preview

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A Real Pain: Movie Clip - Anyone Else Feeling This?

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A Real Pain: Movie Clip - She Said That?

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A Real Pain: Exclusive Movie Clip - No One Wants to Be Alone

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